A man has been jailed for four years after his fake Botox injections disfigured two women.
Ozan Melin, 42 and of Pole Hill Road, Uxbridge in Middlesex, was found guilty at Bournemouth Crown Court on 3 May 2018 of two counts of causing grievous bodily harm. He was found not guilty of one further count of GBH. He was sentenced at the same court today, Friday 8 June 2018.
Melin injected his victims with a substance that they believed was Botox. However, the substance that he used was unknown and had been ordered over the internet and delivered from China. It had not been prescribed by pharmaceutical company Allergan, which are the only legitimate suppliers of Botox in the UK.
Melin claimed to the women that he was medically qualified, but he was not registered as a medical professional with any UK medical body or institution.
He administered the injections to one victim – a 63-year-old woman from Poole – in July 2013. She received 18 injections and paid £300 in cash for the procedure. After around 10 days the injections had no effect apart from some bruising, so she arranged a second appointment.
On 22 July 2013 she received a second set of injections, paying Melin an additional £100. It was shortly after this appointment when she suffered a lot of pain and her face started to burn and swell.
She went to her GP the following day and was referred immediately to hospital for urgent medical treatment due to a severe allergic reaction to the substance. The incident left her with permanent sinus problems and a drooping brow.
A 57-year-old woman from the Bristol area subsequently came forward to claim that Melin also injected her with a substance that she was told was Botox.
She received her first injections on 5 November 2011. The treatment had no effect, so top-up treatment was arranged for 22 November 2011.
The victim suffered severe swelling and burning to her face and was left with a brow that drooped.
Detective Sergeant Karen Penn, of Bournemouth CID, said: “I’d like to praise all the victims for coming forward and supporting this incredibly lengthy and complex investigation.
“This was due to the difficulty in gathering the evidence against Melin, examining data devices, obtaining statements from medical agencies, pharmaceutical companies, regulators and expert witnesses from across the world including the United States of America and China.
“The impact on Melin’s victims has been huge. They believed they were seeing a qualified professional and were receiving genuine Botox injections. This was not the case and as a result their lives have been significantly disrupted due to the severe swelling and pain caused and also mental distress. Long term they have been left with disfigurement and paralysis of varying degrees.
“Melin is a sophisticated manipulator who targeted the women for financial gain. He has shown no remorse for any of his victims. I hope his victims can now find some comfort in the fact he is firmly behind bars.
“My advice to anyone considering Botox treatment would be to ensure you know who is providing the treatment and that they are legitimate. You can contact a company such as Saveface, who have a register of approved technicians. Never take a person on their word no matter how plausible they may sound, as was the case with Melin.”
